Displaced Data hosts debate on access

WEDNESDAY 19th March 1997, LONDON 19.00 (GMT)PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLERY.5, GREAT NEWPORT STREET, LONDON WC2.

As part of the Translocations Exhibitions, Displaced Data is hosting anonline debate to discuss the issue of access to digital technology, ontheir web site, URL: http://www.artec.org.uk/displacedata.

'The flashing lights, the dials and the rest of the imagisticparaphernalia of science fiction functioned as social signs, peoplelearned to read very quickly. They signalled technology. And technologywas like a placard on the door saying "Boys club! Girls, keep out. Blackand Hispanics and the poor in general, go away.' Science Fiction authorSamuel R. Delany in 'Black To The Future' in Flame Wars: The DiscourseOf Cyberculture. (ed.) Mark Dery 1994.

Are Samuel Delany's words still true? If so, what are the strategiesthat we can devise to encourage these groups who, as Delany states, wereactively discouraged/excluded by the discourses and images of westerntechnology? The Access on-line debate seeks to examine the variousissues concerning access, literacy, languages, technological jargon andimagery.

How can we begin to talk about cyberspace, digital technology in an waywhich embraces and encourages those who have been traditionally deniedaccess to technology ? How do we begin to develop images, languages andmodes of address which embrace linguistic, cultural and racialdiversity?